I've always been curious to know what sparks the interest of different folks when hearing a certain artist perform or listening to one of his/her compositions. Is it the showmanship, the musicality, the complexity, is it the whole ensemble or just a striking detail which creeps into our ears from the first moment we hear that certain artist?
For instance, when I first heard him, I was always struck by Yngwie Malmsteens outstanding vibrato, rather than his speed...strange huh?
i always try to see the whole package and make a point of view. that includes everything, groove, intention, attitude, looks, technique, relation with the other musicians.
and even some things like, what guitar it's in use, what effects, what kind of mix, how the stage looks etc, i think then you can really start understanding someone on the surface.
I personally think timing is the most striking aspect of a musician's language. how confident and comfortable a musician feels when playing his part is everything, it doesn't matter how fast or even what instrument he plays
For me it is humility...great music played by a jerk ruins it for me. That is why I like GMC so much...it is a jerk free zone!!! LOL!
Musically it is when I see that they are lost in what they are doing...in their own world when playing.
It used to be how what he/she played made me feel, or what it made me think of - and to a certain extent that is still the main aspect. Recently however, its been how they handle the "negative space" in music - the space between notes. It's hard to describe much further than that, but how someone handles the time between notes I think is much more important than the actual notes themselves - smooth transitions give you warm legato. Harsh, sudden changes give you tension and drama. A wide vibrato will give emotional depth or technical release. It goes on and on really. This does not necessarily apply to all music or musicians, but its an aspect that can be deceivingly simple and immensely effective.
Also, the absence of sound is more important than I used to think - and is another quality I appreciate. I love long, driving, complex structures with infinite layers - but theres always that point where everything stops or fades away, a transition, a beginning or an end where nothing is being played and everything that "is" is becoming everything that "was", and if its not done correctly, you can loose what have been building up.
Very good point from The Uncreator.. I agree
For me it's mainly tone, restraint, good taste & awareness of the rest of the instruments and the context of the song
I think it's more about honesty that anything else. You can really feel if somebody is playing something because he likes too, and wants too.
This man seems to perform each concert like it's his last...a real inspiration for me
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